Pin holder for bowling pin setters



Feb. 16, 1943. R RUNDELL 2,310,996

' PIN 110mm FOR BOWLING PIN SETTERS Filed Oct. 16, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 NVENTOF. RUPERT ERUNDELL.

BY y W 1 ATTORNEY R. E. RUNDELL PIN HOLDER FOR BOWLING PIN SETTERS Filed Oct. 16. 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Feb. 16, 1943. UN 1 2,310,996

PIN HOLDER FOR BOWLING PIN SETTERS Fi led Odt. 16, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR RUPERT E.RUNDELL TTORNEY Patented Feb. 16,

UNITED STATES PATENT! OFFICE,

PIN HOLDER BOWLING PIN SETTERS Rupert E. Randell, Rockville Centre, N. Y., assignor to American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application October 16, 1940, Serial No." 361,371

14 Claims.

This invention relates to bowling pin settersof the type having a spotter device for gripping the pins and transferring them to the bowling alley, and a respotter device for picking up the standing pins after a ball is thrown to permit removal of the fallen pins, more particularly to the pin holders thereof.

In an'earlier type of bowling pin setter the pin holders of the spotter device are mounted upon an invertible carrier. into whose holders the pins are inserted in inverted position for inversion into upright position during inversion,

of the carrier and setting of the pins upon the alley during the descent of the carrier.- The pin holders of the carrier are equipped with'suctionactuated pistons employed to close the grippers pin to center itself with respect-to the same, at

any position to which the cups may be displaced by engagement with the heads of off-spot pins.

The grippers of the spotter and respotter may be actuated elec'tromagnetically, and it is a further object to provide electro-magnetic devices for this purpose. In the case of the spotter, the grippers may be actuated by solenoids controlling the operation of the grippers which close upon the pins and transport them to predetermined positions on thebed of the alley. The cups of the respotter, which may be free to move upwardly upon engaging the head ends of the pins with which the holders are provided, upon the heads of bowling pins and grip the same and transport the gripped pins to predetermined positions on the bed of a. bowling alley. However it has been found that such pistons present difllculties'in that their machining requires close to be actuated. There? is no friction to be over-' come as in the case of a piston. Due to these limitations there has been used a piston of a diameter considerably less than. the diameters of the diaphragms employed in the present constructions, wherefore a greater force is available for actuating the grippers with the diaphragm.

trol the operation of the grippers.

Still another object is to. provide the pin holders of the respotting device, which may consist of cups or receptacles mounted on the carrier and arranged to engage the head ends of stand- 7 a Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide diaphragms which are actuated to con- I ing pins following the throwing of the bali and elevate the same to permit sweeping of the fallen pins into the pit of the alley, with diaphragms which control the operation of grippers for gripping the standing pins. In this connection a further object is to provide for suction actuation of the diaphragm of each cup, which may be free to move horizontally upon engaging an ofi-spot upon the alley during the descent of the carrier and are displaced horizontally" by engagement with the heads of ofl-spot pins, are maintained in elevated position by an electro-magnet which is energized while the grippers are being actuated to grip the pins through theagency of a solenoid.

With these and other objects not specifically mentioned in view; the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations hereinafter I fully described and then specifically set forth in the claims hereunto appended. In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and in which like characters of reference indicate the same or lik parts: I Fig. 1 is a vertical section of one of the im proved pin holders of a spotter in inverted position; Fig. 2 is a verical section of one of the pin holders or cups of the respotter having its funnel inengagement with an off-spot pin;

Fig.3 is a vertical section'of a modified form of spotter cup provided with electromagnetic means for actuating the grippers; and J Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a modified form of respotter cup having its funnel in engagement with an off-spot pin and equipped with a solenoid for actuating the grippers and an electromagnet for retaining the cup in the elevated position to which it is lifted by engagement with the head end of a standing pin. a

, Referring to Fig. 1 wherein there is shown one of a series of spotter cups or receptacleswhich may be fastened upon an invertible carrier, such as fully described in thepatent to G. J. Schmidt, No. 2,217,709, issued October 15, 1940, each of the spotter cups is fastened to the carrier I, so

that they will bein inverted position when the table is inverted for admission of the head ends of bowling pins. Each of the cups has a neck 3 on-which is fastened a base 5 carrying a tubular member I which has a flange fastened to the same.

ber and has metal disks II and I8 fastened to its central'portion together with an abutment I having an upwardly inclined flange, by rivets II. Grippers I9 pivotally mounted on lugs 2| of the member I have jaws arranged to enter perforations 23 in the tubular member and en- 'gage the head end of the pin, and their other ends are disposed between the flange of the abutment member I5 and the disk I3 for actuation by the diaphragm. A spring 25 seated against the I neck 3 urges the diaphragm upwardly and thereby normally maintains the grippers in open position. -A duct 21 in the neck 3 is connected to a suitable source of suction, not shown, and communicates through a hole 28 with the space behind the diaphragm, that is the space between the base memberand the diaphragm, which may be termed a suction chamber. At the proper time, suction is applied to this chamber for closing the grippers upon the inserted pin, to grip the Thus the flange of the abutment I5 presses down upon the opposed ends of the grippers which slide over the disk I3, which thus protects the diaphragm against rubbing and wear, and the gripper Jaws are closed upon the pin. By providing metal disk II on the inner face of the diaphragm, injury of the latter by the rivets is prevented and the impervious character of the diaphragm is maintained.

Suitable mechanism for controlling the application of suction to the individual cups is shown inthe co-pending application of P. M. Nejedly,

Serial No. 339,344, filed. June 7, 1940, to which reference may be had for a complete description of the details thereof. To the upper end of the base member I is fastened a tapered hood 29 which may be equipped with leaf springs 3| having studs 33 engagingthe butt end of the inserted pin for maintaining it in properly centered relation relative to the cup during the inversion of the carrier, the construction of said springs constituting the subject matter of my co-pending application, Serial No. 326,135, filed March 21, 1940, and the suction is cut off in the space hehind the diaphragm whereupon the grippers are opened and the pins are left upon the alley during the ascent of the table to initial position.

Referring to Fig. 2, wherein is shown one of a series of cups or receptacles of the respotter, each of the cups has a funnel 58 normally resting upon a lower support or plate 52 which is supported from the carrier and suitably perforated at 54 to admit the head' end of the standing pins during the lowering of the carrier following the throwing of a ball. The funnel 58 is fastened to a base member 56 which has a suitable flange 58 and lugs 68 in which are'pivotally mounted the'grippers 62. The jaws of the grippers are arranged to enter the perforations 64 in the base member 56 and grip the head end of the pin. The other ends of the grippers are disposed within slots in the flange 58 and engage an abutment member 66 which is fastened, together with disks 68 and I8, to a flexible diaphragm I2 which may be formed of rubber, Neoprene, canvas or other suitable impervious material. The rim of the diaphragm is secured between the flange 58 and a cover I4 by suitable rivets I6. A leaf spring I8, which is connected at its mid section to the diaphragm by a rivet 8| passing through the disks 68, I8 and the diaphragm, has its ends disposed in engagement with the cover member I4 and is thereby suitably stressed to urge the grippers into open position for admission of the head end of a pin. At the margin of the flanged member 58 there is provided a'circular sealing ring 88 which is arranged to engage the plate 82 when the cup is elevated by a standing pin. It may be noted that the members 52 and 82 are fastened to a carrier in the manner shown in the patent to G. J. Schmidt, No. 2,217,709, issued October 15, 1940, whereby each of the cups is supported by the carrier into position to engage'and to be elevated by a standing pin to bring its sealing ring 88 into engagement with a member 82. It will be noted that the funnel normally rests on the member 52 and has a limited horizontal movement thereon whereby--the pocket will be centered with respect to off-spot pins on the bed of a bowling alley by engagement of the funnel 58 with the standing pin during the descent of carrier. When the sealing ring engages the member 82 it provides in effect a suction chamber above the cover I4. A plunger 84, which has a sliding air tight fit in a casing 86, fastened to the member 82 normally projects into engagement with the cover I4 and is pressed upwardly during the descent of the carrier with the members 52 and 82 thereon, whenever the cup engages a standing pin. Normally, the member 84 is maintained in a position projectingfrom the casing 86, by balanced springs 88 and 98 engaging a collar 92 fastened on the member 84 whereby holes 94 in the tubular portion at the lower end of the latter are held in a position in which they are closed by the casing 86. When the member 84 is pressed upwardly, the holes communicate with a duct 96 in th casing 86 and the notches 98 in the lower end of member 84 permit the application of suction through the perforations I88 in the cover 14 to the diaphragm whereby atmospheric pressure on the exterior face of the diaphragm urges it upwardly and thereby closes the grippers 62 upon the head end of the pin. Since the construction of the plunger 84 and casing 86 and the mechanism for applying suction thereto is similar to that shown in the patent to G. J. Schmidt, No. 2,217,709, referred to above, further description is deemed unnecessary except to note that with the construction just described, suction will be applied to the diaphragm in any position to which the funnel 0r hood 58 may be displaced by engagement with an off-center or oiT-spot pin on the bowling alley.

Referring to Fig. 3, the spotter cup I58 is one of a series of ten or any other suitable number position at which the bowling pins are inserted.

Onlugs I54 of the cup I58 are pivoted grippers I56 whose jaws are movable through slots I58 into engagement with .the head end of the inserted pin. A solenoid I68 has a core I62which carries a plate I64 and a cup shaped member I66, the latter engaging the head of the inserted pin. The tails I68 of the grippers are disposed between the plate I64 and the upwardly bent flange of member I66 and the spring 8 in the base of the cup urges the core of the solenoid upwardly and thus normally maintains the grippers in an open position. To the upper end of the cup is fastened a hgod I12 which is provided with leaf springs I14 carrying studs I'll engaging the butt 'end of the inserted pin maintaining it in centered position during the inversion of the carrier I52. The construction of the leaf springs I14 forms the subject matter of my co-pending application, Serial No. 326,135, filed March 21, 1940. A cam I18, which is suitably driven in timed relationship to the operation of the mechanism for inverting the table and turning it back to upright position, has a raised lobe I80 which engages a cam follower .I8I on a contact maker I82 carrying contacts I86 and I88,

which are insulated .from each other and connected by wires I80 and I82 tothe winding of the solenoid I60, and thereby raises the contacts I86 and I88 into engagement with the contacts I94 and I85 which are insulated from each other and connected to the power lines I98 and 200, respectively. Thus the solenoid is energized to draw the core downwardly and thereby close the grippers upon the inserted pin. The extent of the cam lobe I80 is suflicient to maintain the grippers in closed position while the table I52 is being inverted and while it descends into position to deposit the gripped pins upon the bed of the bowling alley. As the cam follower I8I on the contact maker I82 rides off the cam lobe I80, the contacts I86 and I88 are disengaged from the contacts I94 and I86 and the circuit through the solenoid is broken, whereupon the spring I again urges the grippers into open position at which they remain until the next bowling pin is inserted in the inverted cup.

Referring to Fig. 4, the hood 250, which is one of a series of ten or any other desired number corresponding to the number of bowling pins upon the [bed of the alley, is fastened to a cup 252, and the hood normally rests on a bottom plate 254 having a perforation 256 which admits the head end of a standing bowling pin on the alley. The cup 252 is provided with grippers 258 which are movable through slots 260 into engagement with the head end of a pin within the cup. The grippers are pivoted upon lugs 280 and are provided with tails 254 which project into engagement with a cup shaped member 266 which hasa downwardly bent flange underlying the tails 264. Member 266 and plate 268', the latter overlying the tails-264 of the grippers are fastened to the core 210 of a solenoid 212 arranged within the base of .the cup. A spring 214 engaging the plate 268 urges the solenoid core downwardly and thereby rocks the grippers into open positiorr through the engagement of the plate 2,88'and the member 285 with the tails 264 of the grippers. The funnel 250 normally rests on the member 254 and has a limited horizontal movement thereon to permit displacement of the funnel and its cup into centered relationship to the bowling pin in which it engages upon the bed of the alley. The funnel or hood 2I5 and its cup are also free to move vertically off the plate 254 upon engaging the head end of a standing bowling pin on the alley during the descent of the carrier upon which the plate 254 is supported in a manner similar to thatshown in the patent to G. J. Schmidt, No. 2,217,709. gages the member 265 and thus raises the cup ably driven intimed relationship to the operationof the carrier, engages the cam follower connected to a suitable source of current, is

connected to contact 282 and has a'lead 290 connected in parallel to the winding of the electromagnet 298 which is connected by lead 880 tothe contact 288. The contact 280 is connected to one end of the winding of the solenoid-212 by a lead 802 and the other end of the solenoid windin is connected to the line 804 which is connected like main 284 to the source of current. Thus the grippers are closed upon the head end of the pin and the plate 216 ofthe cup is retained electromagnetically on the core 218 of the electromagnet while the pins are raised oiI the alley to permit the sweeping of the fallen pins.

- The cam lobe 28I maintains the contacts 288 and 290 in engagement with the cont-act 282 until the table again descends and deposits the pins once more upon the bed of the alley, at which time the cam follower 284 rides off the cam lobe and the grippers are opened and the plate 216 is released from the electromagnet core 218. The funnel 250 then re-engages the plate 254 when the carrier then again ascends In addition to the materials mentioned above .as suitable for the diaphragm, leather or corrugated metal may be used. It may be noted that besides preventing rubbing of the diaphragm by As the carrier descends the pin en- 1 until the steel plate 218 at its upper end is brought into contact with the core 218 of the electromagnet 219 which'are supported on the plate 280 fastened to the carrier, together with the plate 254 in the manner shown in Patent No. 2,217,709, referred to above. At this time the raised lobe 28I on a cam 282' which is suit the grippers, the plate I3 shown in Fig. 1 and the plate 10 shown in Fig. 2 assure uniform movement of the grippers into engagement with the pin.

diaphragm unequal movement thereof might result if any of the portions engaging the grippers should collapse while closing the grippers. The plate II shown in Fig. 1 may be made much smaller than the plate I3, if desired, without affecting'the operation of the grippers, and the same is true of the plate 68 in Fig. 2 with respect to the plate 10.

What is claimed is:

1. Ima bowling. pin setter, the combination with an invertible receptacle adapted while in inverted position to admit the handle end of a bowling pin, or a set of leaf springs mounted on said receptacle to engage the butt end of an inserted pin and maintain the same in centered position therein, a set of grippers adapted togrip the inserted handle end of a pin, and means for actuating said grippers to grip said pin.

In a bowling pin setter, the combination with a receptacle adapted to admit a portion of a bowling pin, of a set of grippers mounted on said receptacle and adapted to grip the inserted pin, and electromagnetic means for actuating said grippers to grip the inserted pin.

3. In a bowling pin setter, the combination with a receptacle adapted to admit a portion of a If the grippers directly engaged the V said diaphragm to close said grippers and grip the inserted pin.

5. In a bowling pin setter, the combination with a series of receptacles each adapted to admit a portion of a bowling pin, sets of grippers mounted on each of said receptacles and adapted to grip an inserted bowling pin, flexible diaphragms on each of said receptacles, each of said diaphragms being arranged to control the operation of said grippers, and fiuid'means for moving said diaphragms in unison to control the operation of grippers.

6. In a bowling pin setter, the combination with a series of receptacles each adapted to admit a portion of a bowling pin, sets of grippers mounted on each of said receptacles and adapted to grip an inserted bowling pin, flexible diaphragms on each of said receptacles arranged to control the operation of said grippers. and fluid means for moving said diaphragms in unison to close said grippers and grip the inserted bowling pins.

7. In a bowling pin setter, the combination with a cup adapted to admit the handle end of a. bowling pin, of a set of grippers mounted on said cup and adapted to grip the inserted end of a bowling pin, a flexible diaphragm engaging said grippers, a spring urging said diaphragm into position to open said grippers, and suction means for moving said diaphragm into position to close said grippers upon the end of an inserted pin and thereby grip the same.

8. In a bowling pin setter, the combination with a cup adapted to admit the handle end of a pin, of a set of grippers mounted on said cup and adapted to grip the inserted end 01 a pin, a

spring-pressed member engaging said grippers and urging them into open position, and a sole noid having its core connected to said member and adapted when energized to move saidmember sufficiently to close the grippers upon the inserted pin and thereby grip the same.

9. In abowling pin setter, the combination with a series of receptacles each adapted to admit a portion of a bowling pin, of sets of grippers mounted on each of said receptacles and adapted to grip an inserted pin, and an electromagnetic means for actuating said grippers in unison to grip bowling pins inserted in said receptacles.

10. In a bowling pin setter, the combination with a receptacle adapted to admit a portion of a bowling pin, of a set 01' grippers mounted on said receptacle and adapted to grip the inserted pin, a member coacting with said grippers to operate the same on displacement of the central portion of said member, said member having a flexible margin fastened in said receptacle, andmechanism for displacing the central portion of said' member to cause the same to close said grippers.

11. In a bowling pin setter, the combination with a set of grippers adapted to grip a bowling pin, of a flexible member adapted to operate said grippers, and means for applying fluid pressure to said member for actuating said grippers.

12. In a bowling pin setter, the combination with a set of grippers adapted to grip a bowling pin, of a flexible member connected to said grippers, and means for displacing said flexible member to operate said grippers.

13. In a bowling pin setter, the combination with a device for gripping a bowling pin, said device including a flexible member, of means for applying fluidpressure to said member to grip the bowling pin. a

14. In a bowling pin setter, the combination with a set of grippers adapted to grip a bowling pin, of a flexible diaphragm, a rigid member carried by said diaphragmand arranged to engage said grippers, and means for applying fluid pressure to said diaphragm to displace said member and cause it to close said grippers.

RUPERT E. RUNDELL. 

